Reflections on Memorials on Presidents Day

What do you suppose Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson or George Washington might think if they saw the massive marble monuments erected in their honor? To stand in the shadows of these behemoth structures and put your hands on the cold stone walls we can only wonder how future generations will remember our modern day Presidents.

The Washington Memorial as seen through the pillars of the Jefferson Memorial. Photo by Brian Hester

Two centuries after his death visitors still flock to the Jefferson Memorial. Photo by Brian Hester

A Jet Blue flight on final approach to Ronald Reagan International Airport cruises above the Jefferson Memorial. Photo by Brian Hester

Confederate Gen. Robert E Lee former home sits as a museum and his plantation turned to burial grounds after the Civil War. The Monuments are lined up so as to be seen from the front door of the house. Photo by Brian Hester

A long line of brightly colored food trucks lines the street alone the Washington Memorial. Photo by Brian Hester